Unequivocal steps by the European Union and NATO are now imperative to ensure that Moscow understands that its invasion of Georgia cannot be tolerated. Measures should include swift preparation of international and impartial peacekeeping forces for South Ossetia and Abkhazia and, unless Russia withdraws fully from Georgian territory, freezing of Russia's application to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and EU trade sanctions against Russia. Georgia's early membership of NATO should be made a top priority.
The claim by Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, writing in the Financial Times on 13 August 2008, that Russia is a "guarantor of stability in the Caucasus" is code for "Russia has the right to override the sovereignty of democratic countries to secure its own strategic predominance in the region". Despite an announcement early on 12 August by Russian President Dimitri Medvedev of an "end to operations" in Georgia, by the end of the day Russia had not withdrawn from its positions inside Georgia.
The EU should strengthen in all communications with Russia the non-negotiable principle that Georgia (likewise Ukraine and Moldova) has the right to choose freely its own alliances and partnerships, including membership of NATO and the EU, and that any NATO member has the right to host NATO military bases. NATO should also extend its support to Ukraine if it insists on the removal of Russia's fleet from the Crimea.
The ceasefire plan negotiated with Georgia and Russia during the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Moscow and Tbilisi on 12 August must mark the beginning of an intensive engagement by the French EU Presidency. President Sarkozy must persist in his calls for an international peacekeeping force. Until Russia agrees, it must be made clear that negotiations on the EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and the liberalised visa regime for Russian passport-holders will be frozen. Without a full withdrawal from Georgian territory, the EU should also push for the suspension of Russia's membership of the Council of Europe, its exclusion from G8 summits, and the cancellation of the Sochi winter Olympics of 2014 (Sochi is 20 kilometres from Georgia).
International mediation, led by the EU, working in close co-operation with the US administration and both principal US presidential candidates, is essential to put an end to the conflict between Russia and Georgia.
The EU should extend humanitarian support to refugees from the past week's fighting. The French Presidency should then draw up a roadmap for talks to ensure resolution of the plight of Georgia's internally displaced, and settlement, without Russian interference and without military force by the different ethnic communities in Georgia or by the Georgian government, of the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The settlement of all the "frozen" conflicts in the Black Sea region should be made a priority of the French-Czech-Swedish trio presidency of the EU that extends until the end of 2009.
The invasion by Russia of Georgia is an unacceptable infringement of the sovereignty of Georgia. A full Russian withdrawal must take place, and mediation measures must be put in place to ensure that such an infringement is not repeated by Russia on the territory of Georgia or other former Soviet countries. Peaceful mediation and negotiation must be the routes towards any resolution of the status of South Ossetia and other "frozen conflict" regions.
This statement is supported by the following policy centres and affiliated individuals:
George Tarkhan-Mouravi, Director,
Institute for Policy Studies, Georgia
Vita Terauda, Director,
Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS, Latvia
Jacek Kucharczyk, Director of Research,
Institute of Public Affairs, Poland
Volodymyr Niktin, Director,
International Centre for Policy Studies, Ukraine
Michal Thim, Director, Research Center,
Association for International Affairs (AMO), Czech Republic
Igor Munteanu, Executive Director,
Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) "Viitorul", Moldova
Zhidas Daskalovski, President,
Center for Research and Policy Making, Macedonia
Darina Kadunkova, Deputy Development Director,
European Institute, Bulgaria
Nicu Popescu, Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations
David Aprasidze, Chairman,
Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development, Georgia
Cholpon Nogoibaeva, President, Institute for Policy Analysis and Research, Kyrgyzstan
EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Czech Republic
Institute for Public Affairs (IVO), Slovak Republic
Expert-Grup, Moldova
Institute for Public Policy, Moldova
Economic Research Center, Azerbaijan
Ain Aiviksoo, Chair,
PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies, Estonia (signature in a private capacity)
Tarmo Kalvet, member of Executive Board,
PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies,, Estonia (signature in a private capacity)
Ene-Margit Tiit, member of Supervisory Board,
PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies,, Estonia (signature in a private capacity)
iDEMO Institute for Democracy, Croatia
European Institute, Sofia